


Strange Magic Short Fic Collage

by KrystalMoon



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29994411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrystalMoon/pseuds/KrystalMoon
Summary: I discovered there wasn’t a novel based on the movie and got horribly upset that I couldn’t have more Strange Magic canon content. So here. My favorite Bog x Marianne movie scenes made into written form.
Relationships: Bog King/Marianne (Strange Magic)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Strange Magic Short Fic Collage

“Let my sister go, you scaley backed cockroach!” Marianne shouted, tugging against the grips of the goblins that restrained her. Loathing boiled in her blood as the Bog King whirled on her, his sharp teeth bared.

“Return the love potion by moondown, tough girl,” he threatened in a dangerously quiet, sneering voice. “Or you’ll never see your sister again.”

Marianne struggled hard, her rage reaching explosive levels.

“I’ll have your head on a stick!” she snapped angrily, yanking a fist free at the same time, landing a hit against Bog’s jaw with a satisfying cracking noise that sent his head twisting away with a look of shock on his face.

But Marianne had no time to gloat. The goblins that restrained her threw her down to the ground painfully, readjusting their grip on her. As they pulled her up, she heard the Bog King roaring with rage and looked up on time to see him holding his staff above his head with murderous intent.

Marianne wasn’t scared. She glared up at the face contorted with rage and refused to look away.

“Take me instead!” shouted a familiar voice. Bog froze mid swing and glared at the elf that interrupted him. “I took the love potion!”

“Sunny!” Marianne glared at the short elf angrily, yanking against her captors again as the Bog King’s wing beats brought him floating menacingly over to him.

“Then give it back,” Bog snarled, ignoring Marianne.

“I-I don’t have it…” Sunny stammered nervously, looking away as Bog got close. With an unsatisfied snarl, the goblin-fairy flew high.

“You heard my terms!” he shouted at the frightened crowd. “By moondown or all of you will be next!”

Marianne struggled harder against her goblin captors. Bog looked down at her then lowered himself down to stand once more in front of her. With a strong yank, Marianne once more managed to free her fist, aiming for another jaw hit.

But Bog was ready for it this time, easily catching her fist in the palm of his hand, fingertips snapping around her fist like a Venus fly trap. He glared into Marianne’s burning amber eyes for a moment, then smirked as she tried to yank her fist free from his grasp.

The dragonfly riders picked up the sack that contained Dawn, and with one last challenging smirk, Bog let go of her fist. The goblins held her down tighter, one more larger one joining to hold her back as Bog left with his prize.

————

With a deep breath, Marianne charged down towards the skylight, her purple emperor butterfly wings pounding at the air for maximum speed, aiming straight for the familiar, hunched figure sitting in the home throne. If she took him by surprise she could end this quickly.

She hadn’t made it to the glass when he looked up.

_Dammit._

He’d grabbed his staff as she smashed through the skylight’s glass, shards scattering everywhere, and as she brought her sword down with as much might as she could muster, it clanged roughly against his reinforced staff.

“Woah-woah-woah!” he said, his eyes wide with shock.

“Release my sister!” Marianne snarled quietly through clenched teeth.

“Oh, no… Not another Princess…” he groaned, exasperated. With a solid push, he sent Marianne and her sword away from him with his staff fluidly. “Well, at least you’re not singing.”

He crouched, holding his staff in front of him, ready for her. Marianne complied, intending on tiring him out. She didn’t train for nothing, after all. With clangs that echoed off the wall, she swung again and again relentlessly. He kept moving, backing up, dodging, parrying, and swinging. At first there was a pattern, and then there wasn’t, as if he had already become aware of her notice. He stepped behind his throne, dodging a strike.

Marianne glared at him.

“Taking a break?” she asked, hoping to get under his skin. She swung at him.

He “uh-oh’d” and dived back in time and just barely missed the blade. Wasting no time, she slammed her sword through an opening in the throne’s decorative centerpiece. The wood splintered from the force of the hit, but Bog was spared by a few centimeters, his eyebrows raised.

Marianne struggled to yank her sword free.

“Need any help?” His cronies were standing nearby. Marianne yanked harder, wanting to get this done before they ganged up on her. The wood released the metal and she swung hard at Bog again, his attention on his cronies, a smile of some sort on his face.

“No,” he laughed in amusement, knocking away the blow with his staff without even looking at her.

Marianne snarled. How the heck did he do that?

He flew towards her swiftly, giving her no time to think as she parried away his blow, chasing after him to the hanging light fixtures. He hung off one and swung at her, and she hung off the other, trading blows for blow, neither getting a hit in. Each blow would swing the light back a little farther.

Hit with an idea, on the next swing back, she let go of the light fixture, sending her to the nearby wall. With a solid kick, she launched herself off the surface towards Bog with as much speed and power she could muster.

“Impressive!” He grinned in approval. Was it genuine or just trying to throw her off? She had no time to decipher.

The delighted grin never left his face as they traded more blows. Was he enjoying himself?

Marianne hesitated a moment, realizing that he truly wasn’t the only one. She’d never had an opportunity to really push herself, always holding back against the pixies. Her hesitation made her miss him and hit the light fixture’s rope. He laughed out a short “ha!” as it fell.

It combusted loudly when it hit the floor, sending heat and flame out momentarily before Bog threw himself into another set of blows. He seemed to be slowing down. Marianne was thankful for that. Her arms were starting to hurt.

“Had enough?” she asked, glaring daringly at her adversary.

“Pfff, I could do this all day,” he scoffed, rolling his blue eyes before giving Marianne a teasing smirk. He pushed her off and hit a few more glancing blows in before he straightened up and once more the menacing tone returned. “But now, give me the potion!”

“Heh, the almighty bog king needs a magic love potion,” Marianne mocked, gesturing with a free hand.

“I don’t need it,” he snapped defensively. “I want to eradicate it!”

“Eradicate this!” she announced laughing wickedly, hitting a loose piece of bark from the wall and kicking it at the Bog King.

He was caught by surprise and let out an audible gasp, moving only just in time for it to miss.

They landed on the ground.

“Need any help?” his cronies offered again.

“No!” Bog snarled angrily. His attacks got more aggressive. Marianne delighted in the idea that she must have gotten under his skin, but had no time to revel in it. She couldn’t lose focus even for a moment.

He surprised her with a low swing, but she jumped over that easily. His proximity shocked her though, and in the same motion as his swing, he had yanked his staff in so it had trapped her sword between the spokes that held the amber gemstone in place.

“Look at you,” he said, another delighted smile on his face. No, he seemed to actually be impressed. That made Marianne more angry. She yanked hard and sent her own sword flying up and high, she stared up at it, frowning. A mistake.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. The Bog King was pointing his staff at her rather than taking his chance he had and getting in a free blow. Marianne thought about that as she reacted, hitting the staff with her hand and swinging a foot into Bog’s armored chest. He grunted in surprise, and swung again, but Marianne moved gracefully out of its way and caught her sword when she heard it close.

“Not bad,” he acknowledged.

She smirked and swung her sword in, pointing it at his throat. He stared at the sword, then looked at Marianne.

Marianne didn’t understand why she didn’t just take the blow at first, then realized she didn’t want it to end. She understood then why he hadn’t taken his chance for a winning blow. She grinned knowingly, her brow knitting together, ready for more. He noticed.

“Looks like you need help!” said the same fish-looking goblin for the third time.

“No!” Bog snarled impatiently at him, smacking Marianne’s sword away. His attacks got faster. She could hear him breathing now, but her lungs were also starting to burn from the exertion.

“Ha!” He got a good solid hit in from behind, but Marianne blocked it. That shocked him.

“Ah-hah!” she responded, getting in another good parry.

“Ah-HAH!” He sounded frustrated as she parried once more.

Laughing genuinely, excitement and elation pumping more adrenaline into her veins, she spun around and tilted her head at Bog, bringing her sword up again. 

“So, is that all you got?” she giggled teasingly.

Bog stared at her a moment.

“Now I know how to play my hand,” he grinned, swinging his staff around with a flourish. Showing off, now? Marianne took a stab at him, but he blocked it easily. His grin widened with each blow. He was clearly having fun with it.

“Well I’m ready for you!” she replied, waiting patiently for him to come to her. A move that he used often. His eyes flashed in response.

“What the winner don’t know the gambler understands,” he said coyly, walking around her turning her around. He wiggled his dragonfly wings at her, seemingly mocking her.

“What does that even mean?!” she demanded. “No. Forget it!”

Focused she launched herself forward in flight, and he did the same. Smacking hard into each other with their weapons with a sharp clang, she wasted no time to land another and another. He continued to parry. She pulled her sword down on top of his as strong as she could, but he caught it and leaned in. His proximity created a strange electricity between them, his face close to hers.

“Oooh,” he teased. Marianne spun away for another attack which he caught easily. “You fight pretty well, for a fairy.” Again his wings lifted and rattled as he said that in a mocking tone, a dark teasing grin on his face.

“Wish I could say the same for you!” she teased back, grinning in equal response.

“What do you mean?” he glowered.

“I don’t know,” she said, blocking once more with one hand. She looked down at her nails in mock boredom. “I was expecting…” she whiled closer to him and stared him right in the eye. “More.”

He stared at her a moment.

“That’s it! You’re getting it now!” He launched himself at her, taking her bait. Marianne and Bog clashes once more going up the walls, the attacks starting off aggressively, but as her lungs began to burn out, so did her muscles. He seemed in equal sorts, and both ended up floating down, breathing heavily.

They stared at each other. But his expression wasn’t full of loathing, or even delight anymore. He seemed incredibly exhausted.

Her sword felt heavy as she went to threaten him with the tip of her blade once more, to prove she was the best.

“Go ahead. Kill me,” he sneered between pants. Then he grinned wickedly. “But you won’t get your sister.”

Marianne’s sword tip dropped as she made a noise between a groan of defeat and pain from her screaming muscles.

“Need any help?”

Marianne’s face twitched.

“No…” both Bog and Marianne said at the same time without breaking eye contact.

Singing filled the cavern as Bog got his breath back. He cringed and growled.

“The beast has awoken.”

“Oh no…” Marianne groaned understanding immediately. “What did she fall in love with?”

“Would you care to see?” he asked darkly, placing his staff against the fallen bark piece from earlier. He turned his back on Marianne and began to walk away. She looked at him, looked back at the staff in confusion and sheathed her sword, following after him with no more hesitancy.

The dungeon was filled with creatures singing off key to each other. It hurt Marianne’s ears.

“See what happens when love is loosed upon the world?” Bog pointed out, gesturing to the creatures hanging in cages as they tried desperately to get close to the object of their obsessive affections. It out a bad taste in Marianne’s mouth and she grimaced. There was a large frog singing to a different fairy Marianne didn’t seem to recognize, and she shuddered.

“Ew.”

The noise got louder all of a sudden as something began to clang against the cage. The singing grew louder. Marianne covered her ears.

Bog looked over at her, then took in a deep breath and shouting as loud as his royal voice would go for everyone to be quiet.

Either out of fear or his natural ability to lead, or both, the noise ceased except for the clanging. Marianne turned and realized that it had been the fish-looking goblin who had started clanging. With a look from Bog, he fell silent.

—————-

“I never should have used that potion on that poor sweet…” Bog carried off a moment. “Nothing would have been…”

“...Real,” Marianne finished for him. He looked over at her, surprised at her understanding. She sighed heavily and sat next to him. “Well… I know all about getting your heart broken. I almost married someone who didn’t love me.”

“Why?”

“He was so good looking,” she replied, laughing at her own shallowness.

“Oh.”

“Maybe I couldn’t bear to see that he really was a shallow, power-hungry, cheating, chattering, pig son of a-!” Her voice had started to raise as she got angrier. Bog raised his hands and cut her off.

“Woah-woah-woah!”

She took a heavy breath and shook her head.

“Inside, I knew he didn't want me to be…” Marianne carried off, unable to describe whatever it was she wanted to be.

“... You.” Bog finished for her. Surprised, Marianne looked up at him and smiled sadly. “But you are… different.” He smiled at her kindly.

“I’ve been told,” she said nodding, looking down and away. 

“That’s what I like!” he said, his smile broadening. Bog seemed to have spoken before he stopped himself and he backpedaled. “I mean, uh…” He cleared his throat uncomfortably, desperate to fix what he said. “Well you know.”

She chuckled at his sudden shyness.

“So now I keep my guard up,” she said, raising a fist as if ready to punch an invisible adversary.

“Me too,” Bog said, mirroring her motion.

“And most important, I never…”

“Trust anybody,” they said together, smacking their hands as they both did the same exact gesture.

The moment seemed ridiculous, and they both laughed at their own strange awkwardness. Marianne looked up at Bog. Even if she had felt a little awkward, somehow she felt comfortable with him at the same time.

“Come on, let’s go stretch our wings.”

——-

He placed the flower in her hair and stared deeply into Marianne’s warm amber eyes with soft ice-blue orbs.

Marianne was transfixed with Bog’s smile. It was warm, and it brightened his face up. She never would have expected this Fae to look heart-wrenchingly handsome, but he was in that moment.

He wasn’t pretty, she decided. But there was this inner soft beauty to him that was addicting her to the Bog King. What was it?

She had become too preoccupied that she completely missed Bog freezing to look back in the direction of a distant hum. But she noticed when he looked back and his expression was frozen with sadness.

“You…” A guarded expression hardened his face before the anger did. He stepped into her and stopped her arm from reaching out to him with his staff as he snarled. “You played me!”

“What?!” This seemed so ridiculously out of the blue. Marianne laughed slightly at it in discomfort. “I didn’t-.”

He ignored her completely, flying off toward his castle as fast as he could go. That’s when Marianne noticed the hum was actually a horn. She made out movement in the distance right where the bridge to the castle met the land and immediately understood.

“Oh no…” She had forgotten Roland. She completely, finally forgot about stupid blond Roland with his stupid army from her father. Marianne kicked off the branch, tearing after Bog. He was already fast, but she was gaining. “Wait!”

“I won’t be a fool again!” he growled furiously, beating his wings faster.

Marianne kicked her poor wings into high gear. If she could get him to listen. She dipped in front of him, staring at him with large pleading eyes. He glared at her, and stopped in mid air before colliding with her.

“I didn’t know!” she tried to desperately explain. But Bog wasn’t listening to her. He sneered at her and leaned in dangerously close, baring his teeth.

“I wouldn’t follow me if I were you, Princess,” he spat. “You wouldn’t want to see what I’d do to them.”

Marianne felt her heart, already so broken, just go completely numb again. She looked away for a second. Her duty to her kingdom had to come first now. As much as it pained her, she couldn’t allow herself to let him go and do any of the horrible things he was insinuating.

Baring her sword to him, it’s silver glinted in the last light of the crystal moon as it began to dip beneath the trees towards the horizon.

“I won’t let that happen-!” Before she could finish, he slammed his staff into her sword and with the same sweeping motion slammed the other end of it into her chest, sending her flying straight into a nearby spider web. In wide-eyed shock, she stared at him until he flew out of view the next moment. Marianne was unable to move her sword arm. She gritted her teeth. “I am so stupid!”

She grabbed her sword with her left hand and gave an angry swipe of her sword which freed her just enough to escape.

Never. Marianne had promised herself before. She broke that stupid promise and she never should have. Now look at her.

Screaming internally at her own inner romantic that had bubbled up from before, she flew as fast as she could after Bog. She saw him enter the skylight to the throne room she had broken into earlier. Her wings began to sear with pain as she pushed them harder than she should have. She had to get there before he could kill anyone.

She got through the skylight in time and there he was.

Roland with his stupid blond wavy hair wearing that stupid emerald armor. Where was the army? Marianne hadn’t looked, but he seemed to be the only one besides Bog and his goblins.

“Roland!” The room’s attention was brought to her as she entered. Landing ungracefully, she pointed at his dumb proud looking face. Oh! How she wanted to hit him, right now. “What are you-?!”

“Restrain her,” Bog demanded, cutting her off.

“No!” She struggled against the Goblins who suddenly grabbed her before she could approach Roland. The moth-winged fairy looked down at his hand with interest. Was the glowing pink bottle he held the love potion? Marianne was certain it was. She growled in anger, and glared at Bog, who was glaring back at her. “Hey! He-he brought you the potion!” she snapped at him with a snarky attitude.

“Yes,” he said, smiling sarcastically in a way that did not reach his eyes. It disappeared and he sneered at her, punctuating what he said with a sharp rap of his staff against the floor. “And an army!”

“Well…” Marianne shrugged, looking away. Should she bring up the fact that Bog should have expected an army after he kidnapped her sister? She was about to.

“You got me to leave me castle, clever girl,” he added incredulously, as if surprised that someone could be so tricky.

“But!” She frowned, that wasn’t how she remembered it. “Wasn’t that your idea?”

“It was _your_ idea,” he corrected, his face close to hers. “Foolishly, I trusted you.”

Bog’s soft blue eyes were so close to hers and that the proximity made Marianne’s heart yearn for him. There was sadness in them, and she desperately wanted to fix this misunderstanding.

“Wait a minute.”

Both Bog and Marianne flinched, both having completely forgotten Roland was still there. They stared at him.

“Are you-.” Roland looked at Bog and gagged, shrinking back in horror. He covered his mouth, looking like he was about to get sick. “Are you actually havin’ a lover’s tiff right now?” He gagged again.

At the world “lover” Marianne reacted, growling at him. The goblins’ grip tightened against her shoulders, preventing her from moving.

“Oh, that’s so disgusting. _Interesting_ but disgusting.”

“Roland, you are such a-!” she hissed.

“Hero!” Roland finished for her, pointing at her. A grin on his face that made him look so full of himself. Marianne wasn’t sure what pissed her off more, the fact that he was here or that he thought he was doing anyone any good. “To rescue you from-. What did you call him?” He then adopted a weird, creepy voice. “A scaly-backed cock-a-roach!” Then he started doing creepy noises Marianne assumed was supposed to be what he thought a cockroach would sound like.

She cringed, sighing and looked away.

Bog was staring at him in confusion, then he met Marianne’s gaze, catching her eye.

“Is that… _the guy?”_ he asked in shock.

Marianne didn’t answer except letting out an exasperated groan and looked away more. She hated the fact that Bog figured out who Roland was. He was probably judging her for having nearly married someone like that. It made it worse that Roland was still making that stupid pretend bug noise.

————

A squeal of delight interrupted the silence in the throne room. Princess Dawn, still love sick from the potion, threw herself into Bog with a delightful flutter of her pink-tinted monarch butterfly wings.

“My boggy-woggy-kingy-wingy,” she cooed, tapping Bog’s face. He gently wrapped an arm around her and steered her towards Roland, not bothering to correct her. She giggled happily, snuggling against him as he walked her up the stairs. Marianne felt a tinge of jealousy.

“Ugh, I wish I didn't see that,” Roland gagged, pressing a fist against his mouth as if holding himself back from puking.

“This isn’t-.” Marianne leaned forward, but the goblins yanked her back painfully. She grimaced against their grip and looked pleadingly at Bog. “I didn’t mean for… _any_ of this…”

Bog stared at her as he got closer, then his expression softened with gentle realization. Had she finally gotten through to him.

“Of course, I, uh, will be taking both princesses,” Roland interrupted coyly.

“That wasn’t the deal!” Bog snapped, tearing his swiftly hardening gaze and shooting a glare at Roland.

Roland popped the lid of the love potion and stepped towards Marianne. Marianne tried to struggle against the stupid goblins holding her down. Didn’t they realize what was about to happen?! She yanked at them, desperately trying to free herself as Roland approached swiftly.

“No!” Bog roared. He was suddenly in front of her, slamming his staff down between Roland and her cracking his neck, his dragonfly wings beating in agitation.

Roland, who had apparently dodged out of the way and was now flying in midair, grabbed his sword and brandished it, accepting Bog’s challenge with glee, and launched himself at Bog with an ungodly screeching noise.

They met in midair, weapon clashing against weapon.

“Deals off!” Bog snarled.

Roland threw himself bodily into Bog and slammed him against the wall. Marianne’s eyes widened in shock as she remembered she had sparred with Bog earlier until they were both exhausted. If Bog lost, it would be here fault. She had to help.

She yanked desperately against the goblins, fighting them as hard as she could.

She heard Roland go flying. Snarling. Yelling. Then Dawn’s voice.

“You leave my Boggy alone!”

“Bog,” he corrected.

“What were you thinking?” Roland asked, sneering. “A beast like you, falling for a beauty like Marianne?”

Roland was trying to destroy Bog’s confidence to win, and Marianne’s rage reached a boiling point. With a sudden surge of adrenaline she freed herself and drew her sword, throwing herself into the air, only vaguely aware that she was screaming. Roland, surprised, blocked Marianne easily, his eyes widened in shock.

 _“Who’s_ the beast?” she snarled at him in pure loathing.

He shook his head in frustration as if she wasn’t understanding something. Did he still think he was some kind of hero?!

Something rough and hard pressed against her chest and pushed her away from Roland. Bog moved himself between them, protecting Marianne.

“Stay out of it!” Bog snapped at her without looking.

“Hey! I can take care of myself!” Marianne growled through clenched teeth. Bog looked at her in frustration.

“Two against one?” There was a shriek and both Bog and Marianne directed their attention to Roland who was now holding a blade against Dawn’s throat, a sadistic grin on his face. “Not fair.”

“Roland! What are you-?!” Marianne threw herself at Roland, her sword going straight for his throat, snarling. He flinched, and raised his sword to parry off their attack, choosing to save himself over hurting his hostage. As her sword made contact with his, so did Bog’s staff, pressing both swords in a scissor-like fashion against Roland’s neck.

Roland grunted in pain from his arm being suddenly bent, grimacing.

“Let her go!” Bog snapped, pressing the blades into his neck.

Roland sighed.

“You’re forcing me to change my plan,” he said warningly. Bog and Marianne exchanged glances. “So… sadly… Now is the time to… _GOOOOOO!!!”_

All three of them winced painfully at his sudden shout, but they didn’t move until there was a deep rumbling from beneath. The rumbling echoed. Was there an earthquake. The castle shook violently. Then it began to crack. Marianne and Bog both watched in horror, backing away, and Roland returned his blade to Dawn’s throat.

“What is happening?!” Dawn shrieked.

The ceiling dropped pieces of itself as the crack made it above them. Bog gasped, as the rumbling got worse. The castle was starting to collapse.

Roland was grinning triumphantly at Bog’s increasing panic, then with a shove, he threw Dawn at him and grabbed Marianne firmly, flying away with her before Bog could react.

“No!” she heard him shout over the din of falling debris.

Roland flew up his arms tight around her as he skillfully dived around the collapsing mess.

“Let go!” She struggled violently against him.

“Sweetheart!” he shouted, getting towards a place open to the sky where no debris would be. He grunted painfully as Marianne’s struggling forced him against the nearby wall. “You will marry me!”

He let go, turning to splash the potion onto her. But in that moment, Marianne took his lapse of attention on his blade to steal it from him, whirling around to point it at his throat. He froze.

They both floated there for a moment, the crackling of the wall beginning to break down overhead. With a swift kick, she sent Roland and the potion flying into the falling debris, a large piece smacking into him sending him down into the dusty darkness. She spared no concern and dropped his sword, going out and around to look for Dawn and Bog.

Everyone else was out of the castle but them, she realized in horror.

She zipped back towards the entrance, and saw Bog holding Dawn protectively, zipping towards the entrance, the wooden cave-in following behind them. What took him so long to leave?

“Dawn! I’m coming!” she shouted.

“Marianne! Get back!” Bog snapped, but his head jerked upwards as the entrance began to collapse in front of him. He threw Dawn into Marianne as fast as he could, dropping his staff to free his hands. Catching the gigantic skull as the teeth came down, he pushed it up, forcing the teeth to open just enough.

Marianne’s eyes widened in shock, clutching Dawn to herself as she tried to reach out for him.

“Go!” Bog roared painfully. His plates were all extended in exertion, Marianne grimaced, feeling a different kind of pain as she pulled Dawn away. As soon as they cleared the teeth, they snapped shut violently, and the castle completely imploded, falling into a dusty cloud.

“Bog!” She yelled out, hearing him yell out as the collapsed skull entrance fell with it, disappearing into the darkness.

She collapsed. Numb. In such a short amount of time she had fallen in love with, gotten into a fight with, and then lost someone. She felt miserable, thinking about all the things that could have been. Had Roland’s stupid face not came on some pretend mission who knows what would have happened.

Marianne covered her mouth as her imagination threatened to take her to a painful, bitter-sweet place. Had Roland not interrupted, Bog had looked like he was going to lean in to kiss her. She covered her face miserably.

“Don’t think about that now…” she told herself. She wiped away her tears. She felt something touch her shoulder gently. She looked up, startled.

Dawn was looking at her worriedly.

“Are you…?” Marianne stood up and placed her palms on either side of Dawn’s face softly. Her eyes weren’t as badly dilated anymore. “Back?”

“Yea,” she laughed softly. Marianne pulled her into a tight hug. “I don't know how…”

She felt her sister move to look down at her side. Marianne looked around her shoulder and saw Sunny reaching up to hold her hand.

“I know…” Marianne said warmly. Then she pulled away with a sigh, and walked over to the edge, looking into the dusty cloud. She was expecting him to just come through the clouds. Inside she felt like he was still alive, but after a fall like that…? Maybe she was just in denial.

She turned her back on the inky darkness as light from the rising sun began to quickly light the forest up. Dawn said something softly to her, like an apology, but Marianne was too numb. The gasps of surprise and delight caught her attention, however. She didn’t understand at first.

“Yahoo!” exclaimed one of his goblin cronies.

“He’s alive!” announced the fish one.

Marianne heard his wings buzzing and with a gasp she looked up. A smile lit her face up and more tears spilled from her eyes. He was holding his arm tenderly, and the crowd gathered around him. Marianne rubbed tears off her cheeks.

“My precious boy!” Griselda’s voice cut through the crowd before a loud grunt of pain. “Out of the way! Move! Move! King coming through!”

As the crowd parted, Marianne realized Griselda was dragging him over to her. He caught sight of her mid grimace and immediately looked relieved.

 _He_ was worried about _her?_ She wasn’t the one who went careening down into the abyss.

“Wohoo!” shouted a voice from above. Then Roland landed between them, splashing the love potion all over her face. Marianne screamed in surprise, covering her face with her hands to try and get the dust off her, but it soaked in with a tingling sensation. The sensation inside her lungs, as she had apparently breathed it in made her cough and gag.

She heard Bog roar, the buzz of his wings as if he were about to take off.

“No-no-no-no! Patieeenceee,” sang the melodic voice of Sugar Plum, presumably holding him back.

Marianne coughed a little more. But she realized that nothing happened. She didn’t feel drawn or love sick over Roland. Had the potion not worked?

No. No it didn’t work. Because she was already in love with someone else. Marianne felt her cheeks burn and she knew exactly what she was going to do.

She lowered her hands.

“Here we go…” Roland said under his breath. She could hear him moving to be the first one she saw. Here we go, indeed. Dawn had sung a song while on the effects of the potion. How did it go?

“Sugar pie honey bunch!” Marianne sang out as she opened her golden eyes, twisting her hair and fluttering her eyelashes at Roland.

“What?!” Bog sounded taken aback and confused. The crowd gasped. Did she just hear her father? She must be selling it well despite being off key. Dawn was cringing out of the corner of her eye, but Marianne knew if she looked away, she would give herself away.

“You know that I love youuu,” she continued, gesturing dramatically.

“That’s what I like to hear,” he said, grinning, and twisting his curly blond hair with a finger.

“I can’t help myself,” she sang, throwing herself on him, guiding him towards the cliff. In her mind she begged Bog to catch on.

“Of course not baby cakes.”

“I love…” Marianne’s voice hitched off key at the nickname, and she felt a spark of rage. Clenching a fist she knocked him hard in the jaw and sent him over the edge down into the dusty abyss. Satisfied, she watched the potion dump all over his face as he fell. So even if he survived, he’d fall in love with the first thing he saw. She turned her back on him in case he opened his eyes on the way down.

Everyone burst into cheers. Bog looked relieved. So no, he hadn’t caught on until then. She felt a twinge of regret, hoping she hadn’t caused him any pain at that.

It hit her then that even the goblins were rooting for her. She tilted her head and moved to go grab the boutonniere from the fish-goblin who was deep in conversation. Her father had spied Dawn and Sunny kissing and had passed out, but Marianne only had eyes for one person right now.

Bog was rubbing his arm. He looked up and saw her and straightened up, his expression looked uncomfortable.

“Are you… ok?” she wondered.

“I’m fine,” he said in a soft voice. “Uhm...Wings, shoulders, head.” He wiggled his wings and flexed his shoulder armor out to show everything was working alright. “All good,” he said, laughing nervously. “You?”

“I’m good!” She froze. That sounded way too forceful. “Too…” she added, laughing awkwardly. She wanted to tell him her realization that the potion didn’t work because she was in love with him. But part of her held it back. Maybe he knew and that’s why he was uncomfortable. “I just… wanted to say…” She looked up, he was looking at her with an expression she couldn’t read. Anticipation? She tried to say it, but Marianne backpedaled and opted for a less anxiety inducing comment. “I-I’ll never see this place the same way ever again.”

“Yea,” he agreed softly, looking around. Her face was on fire.

“Here!” She smacked the boutonniere onto him a little harder than she meant to. He flinched and stared down at it. “It’s hideous but…”

“Yea,” he said awkwardly.

“Then um…” Marianne rubbed her arm uncomfortably. “Byeee!” She started to back away then realized how she said that. “Woah!” She laughed. “I didn’t mean to sound so... _cute?”_

“Cute,” he struggled with the word a little. “Actually works for you,” he added with a small awkward laugh.

Marianne didn’t know what to say to that. She turned her back and began to walk away without further incident.

“You know, ah…” Bog called after her.

“Yes?!” Marianne wanted so badly for him to tell her that he reciprocated her feelings.

“Feel f-free to visit whenever you like,” he said, rocking from heel to toe.

“Oh… Ok.” Marianne couldn’t hide her disappointment. She turned around and walked away, wondering why he even bothered to stop her just to tell her that. Marianne looked up and realized everyone was staring at them.

A thud sounded behind her, and Marianne turned to see Dawn straightening up from her swift landing and Bog immediately backing away from her, an arm raised as if she was going to attack him.

“Please don’t sing!” His wings buzzed as he moved away from being cornered by her.

“You know Bog-.”

“Boggy,” he corrected too quickly

“- it’s never going to work between us,” she said sadly.

“Well-.”

“Shh!” Dawn pressed a finger against his lips and silenced him, then she dropped her hand and looked sadly at the ground. “It’s not you, it’s me.”

“No problem,” he said quickly, raising his hands.

“Yea, no problem at all,” Marianne added as she ducked under his arm. Bog jolted away, startled by her sudden appearance from nowhere.

“Marianne, a word?” Dawn was planning something, Marianne could just feel it. She went with her sister just out of earshot of Bog. Griselda appeared to move in to talk to him, handing him his staff. He was rubbing his chest like she had just hit him with it. “I hate that you always hover, and watch and worry.”

“I’m…. Sorry?” Marianne questioned. She wasn’t sorry, and Dawn knew that, but there was another reason Dawn was talking to her, and that wasn’t it.

“But I love that you came to _this forest_ to save me,” she added gently. “So now I get to lecture you.”

“What?”

“It’s obvious you like him a lot,” Dawn said, gesturing towards Bog, who was looking insecurely at them. “Don’t even try to deny it, Marianne.”

“I wasn’t-.”

“You got to tell him how you feel,” Dawn said, pushing her towards Bog.

“But…”

“What are you so scared of?”

“What if… He doesn’t…”

“Seriously?” This sentiment was shared by Dawn, but she was not the one who spoke. One of the goblins had spoken up. “It’s obvious he has feelings for you.”

“Just tell him.”

Several of the surrounding goblins and elves nodded, and there was a chorus of “tell him.”

“If you don’t do it now, you’ll never do it,” Dawn told her.

“You don’t know that…” Marianne said sheepishly.

“Marianne…” Marianne turned around fast at the soft voice of the Bog King. He gripped his staff nervously, and looked shyly at her. He swallowed. “Uh…”

“Now!” Griselda shouted, annoyed.

“Right… Uhm… Marianne. I-I have something to tell you, uhm…”

Marianne looked up at him strangely. Only hours before they had been strangers. Fairies, and apparently that included Bog, fell in love fast, but even that wasn’t enough time to really get to know anyone. But here was a usually aggressive person being shy and stuttering all over himself. Could this really be him? Or perhaps a response to his insecurities.

He’d been hurt. A lot. Convinced he’d never find love. Scared now to believe it, maybe. Maybe he was hoping his feelings were as obvious to her as she felt that hers were for him.

They could wait to express their feelings. But Marianne decided Dawn was right. The longer she put off saying it, the more likely it would be forgotten. Hurt feelings. Plus the lack of communication would mean it was likely he would move on. His mother surely would try to find someone for him soon if she didn’t make a move.

He opened his mouth again to say the words, but Marianne pressed her finger tips to his mouth gently.

“I know how I feel. I think I know how you feel. You don’t have to say it out loud yet. Not until you’re ready,” Marianne said quietly.

Bog sighed.

“It’s not that…” He leaned forward and tugged Marianne close. “I just prefer action over words…”

His lips met hers softly, tentatively. There was still awkward hesitancy. Not to mention they were being stared at by a crowd. But in a moment, Marianne forgot completely about the crowd. 

For better or for worse, she decided that she wanted a future with Bog.

“I love you.”


End file.
